The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-10-15
Maryland's Revolt.

To an outsider it is astonishing how
the reform element is growing here
Every day additional recruits join
the reform ranks. The ring men dis
parage the reform movement and
the number of reformers. Eugene
Higgins is quoted as having said that
the reformers cannot poll more than
three thousand five hundred votes all
told, Some of the reformers claim
that the number will be nearer SIX
thousand than three Thousand, - = \
IF the movement confines to
grow in the same ratio for the next
month as it has for the p'st four
weeks" said the venerable put Wig
orons s. Teackle Walls, "our
strength on election day will astound
the ring"
During the registration OF the
three past days the Refrm League
made an innovation which has not
been encouraged, it is smost unnec-
essary to say, by the balot-box STUFF
fers and manipulator who in the
past have elected and defeated what
ever candidates they pleased by their
nefarious and criminal practices,
With the exception q about twenty
men, the entire bar If Baltimore has
enlisted on the side Of reform. In
each of the twenty yards of the city,
during registrationiays, three law
yers volunteered their services to see
that the work was done according to
law, and that no political prestidlgi-
alton was resorted to. The Demo-
cratic bosses in several wards, in a
spirit of revenge, struck from the
rolls the names of eolored bona fde
voters. The precaution ofthe League
however, united with the conviction
of ten Judges of election for fraud,
deferred the manipulatOrs from pack
ing the list with false or colonized
voters.
The league will see to it before
election day that every man legally
entitled to vote, whose name was
stricken from the registry list, Will
be allowed to do so. Iris much the
League can do. Whether it can pre-
vent the ballot box suffers from re-
sorting to their cid tricks on election
night remains to be seen. From the
present Indifference OF the ringsters
to the attacks of the League, and the
quiet confidence they display when
the subject of the coming election is
preached, it is plain to be seen that
they are not without hope of turning
the tables on the reformers in the
event of the latter outvoting them.
1t would fill large book to give a
history of the operations of the gang
who now control the patronage, Fed.
eral, State and municipal, of Mary
land of the tricks that have been
practiced to secure elections; of the
contingent of anti-ring and the
counting-in of ring candidates by
fraud and often by violence; of the
manner in which their present pow
er has been attained, and the meth.
DDS resorted to in order to attain it.
But it can give the true inwardness
of the present revolt and the causes
that have led the best Democrats in
Maryland to bolt the party's nomi-
nations.
The fault primarily rests with the
election laws, AS long as the pres.
ent law is In existence the power OF
the ring cannot be broken, Under
its broad protection they have stuff.
fed registry lists and ballot boxes as
they pleased, and destroyed thous.
ands of ballots when they pleased.
Think of 10000 names illegally
registered in a city of 100000 inhab.
ltants, and the power contained
therein in deciding an election fol
good or evil !! Think of thirty-seven
convicts controlling an election in
the sixth city of the Union and the
reader can understand exactly what
degradation and corruption politics
in the monumental city has descend.
ed.
One of the most prominent lawyers
identified with the reform movement,
in speaking of the corruption which
at present is an epidemic here, ex.
pressed himself in this way:
eff we are successful in our efforts
we will prevent at least three thous
and fictitious persons from voting
this fall. That will make a differ.
ence of 5000 votes in the county
Then again. we will have at least six
thousand independent Democrats
who are disposed to rebuke the Pres
ident for affilliating with this Ring.
We can count up 5000 Labor votes
to help US along, The labor party
here is not as we'll organized as we
would wish. Last year they carried